After weeks of anticipation, I finally arrived in Florence, eager to delve into its storied wine culture, and particularly its legendary buchette del vino, or “wine windows.” These small arched openings, discreetly embedded in the façades of Renaissance-era palazzos, have long fascinated me. To experience them firsthand felt like stepping into a living fragment of wine history.
Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, these wine windows allowed Florentine noble families to sell wine directly from their residences. The system was ingenious: it permitted private, tax-avoiding transactions and helped minimize public gatherings, an early model of socially distant commerce. These architectural curiosities reveal a narrative of ingenuity, adaptation, and an enduring passion for wine that remains central to the city’s identity.
As I wandered through Florence’s historic center, I came across several operational wine windows. At one, I was served a crisp glass of Vernaccia; at another, a bold Chianti Classico—each poured through the same arched portals that once served Florentines centuries ago. Strolling through the city and receiving wine through these charming windows was a delightful and unique experience. There’s magic in being served through a stone-framed portal once used by Medici-era merchants.
These buchette are far more than quaint historical relics. They stand as enduring emblems of Florence’s rich cultural and vinous heritage.
“Long live the Wine Windows!”
The Wine Windows Association
Founded in 2015, the Associazione Buchette del Vino (Wine Windows Association) is committed to preserving and promoting these historic features. Based in Florence, the association catalogues and maps remaining wine windows throughout the city and across Tuscany. It also supports restoration initiatives and offers educational programs through guided tours, exhibitions, and scholarly publications. Explore the map of wine windows here: https://buchettedelvino.org/home%2520eng/maps.html
